Police officers in one Welsh force could go back to wearing traditional police helmets as part of efforts to make them more instantly recognisable.

The traditional police helmet could become more common in one Welsh force

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Police officers in one Welsh force could go back to wearing traditional police helmets as part of efforts to make them more instantly recognisable.

Ian Johnston, Gwent Police’s new police and crime commissioner, said one of the biggest frustrations voiced by people he met on the campaign trail was their inability to distinguish between police officers and other public sector workers like council staff.

Mr Johnston said: “When I was out campaigning, many people said that sometimes they couldn’t recognise police officers, and because they don’t tend to wear headgear they thought they were council workers.”

Police helmets, known as custodians, are used by all forces in England and Wales but to varying degrees.

In Gwent, patrol officers are required to wear either a custodian or a flat cap at all times when outside their vehicles or police buildings.

Community Support Officers, who do not have powers to arrest, wear flat caps.

Mr Johnston, himself a former police officer and head of the Police Superintendents Association of England and Wales, said he would ask chief officers to look again at police uniforms in Gwent in the New Year, alongside a series of reviews into other issues raised with him by members of the public.

He said those issues include a lack of clarity over the role of police community support officers (PCSOs), with many people having little idea about what they can and cannot do, and problems with Pact meetings, mobile speed cameras and victim satisfaction.

Jeff Mapps, chair of the Gwent branch of the Police Federation, welcomed the review, saying it was important that officers are seen to dress smartly.

But he said police chiefs need to ensure the uniform they provide is up to scratch and called on them to bring in a greater visual distinction between police officers and PCSOs, who do not have the same powers.

“In principle this sounds like a good idea,” he said.

“The force has got a standard dress code that applies across the board because it is important in any uniformed service that smartness plays a part, and I certainly encourage the commissioner to do all he can to improve the quality and standard of the uniform that police officers are issued with.”

“As the lead officer for Gwent police standards I’m fully aware that the way we present ourselves can really influence the way we are perceived by others,” he said.

“This can and does have an impact on our ability to carry out our work effectively.

“The standards set by Gwent Police are deliberately high. Quite simply, if we are smart it helps reassure the public.

“While individual officers are of course responsible for their appearance, sergeants and inspectors are responsible for maintaining standards.

“We have recently published a uniform regulation and dress code which all officers and staff have access to. This helps to remind them of the standards to which they must adhere.

“I would be happy to discuss any concerns or feedback the commissioner might have in regards to officers’ appearance.”

Mr Johnston also highlighted problems with Pact meetings, saying in some cases PCSOs were left fielding questions that could only be answered by more senior police officers.

“Many people were saying, ‘just do away with them’, because they said they were not working,” he said.

“Some said they sometimes saw a police officer at the meetings, rarely saw a sergeant and never an inspector – and the PCSOs were left to answer their questions. Simple things like having an agenda and writing things down were not being done.”

He said another “consistent message” from the public was over the effectiveness of mobile speed camera vans, which many people claimed were simply being used to “catch drivers out”.

He said the practice would remain an important part of policing in the area, but he will now look how it is used, saying cameras should be placed at accident blackspots – not necessarily areas where drivers are more likely to be speeding.

First adopted by the London Metropolitan Police in 1863, the round-topped custodian helmet has become a symbol of British policing.

Most police forces in England and Wales have custodian helmets with their own helmet plates attached to the front, but in many areas officers increasingly opt to use flat caps instead.

One of the reasons custodians have become less visible across Wales is that the majority of “on the beat” police officers are actually police community support officers (PCSOs), who do not have the same powers as police.

One option could be to allow PCSOs to have their own custodian helmets – but it may be a controversial issue for serving police officers who already see their roles being blurred too much.

On the other hand, if police commissioners want police officers to be more instantly recognisable, the danger is the public might see just how few actual police officers are patrolling their streets on foot, compared to PCSOs.

But it might prove to be a popular issue with police commissioners keen to make changes that will be popular with voters down the line.